A young entrepreneur whose products have just begun to be sold by Next has won a top award for a bespoke picture frame he created.

Ben Grist, the 27-year-old founder of Oakdene Designs, was named business partner of the year and also won celebration product of the year at the Not on the High Street's Make Awards ceremony on October 22.

The design accolade was for a bespoke copper or steel photo print and frame he created which comes with a personalised message.

Mr Grist, who lives in Warrenne Way, Reigate, named the company after the Brockham street he grew up in - Oakdene Road.

The top product is a simple concept. Customers upload a photo to the company's website and a few days later it arrives on their doorstep as a solid copper or steel photo print with a personalised message.

There is no need to buy another picture frame to put it in because it stands alone.

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Product director for Not on the High Street, Leanne Osborne, said "We awarded the personalised solid copper photo print as the winner of our celebration product of the year due to it's universal appeal, yet on-trend design.

She added Mr Grist won partner of the year due to his "forward thinking approach" in "continuously taking risks to drive their business forwards whilst never compromising on customer service or quality."

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Mr Grist's route to becoming a top designer all started with his pet chicken named Chicky which he had while he was still trading 12 Ponyta’s for a Charizard Pokémon cards back at Brockham School (now North Downs Primary).

A wall sticker created by the Oakdene Designs team (Image: Oakdene Designs)

He started to build coops as he got more pet chickens when he was a student at Ashcombe School, in Dorking, and set up a website so people could buy them as well as selling them on eBay.

He sold his first coop for £150.

He said: “I stopped just building chicken coops and branched out to start making wall stickers and they sold really well.

“While I was in my final year at Bournemouth University the business started doing really well, so I basically quit my degree.

“As the business took off we added products and expanded within a few years.”

For more information on Oakdene Designs and how to buy products, click here. For details on the products being sold at Next click here.

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